


Worry taken away

by Daughter_of_Scotland



Series: Rain's [5]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Death of an OC, Dom!Barry ignores his morals, M/M, Mentions of Violence, Pet Names, Vomiting, mentions of abuse of an OC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-02
Updated: 2016-04-02
Packaged: 2018-05-30 20:14:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6438637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daughter_of_Scotland/pseuds/Daughter_of_Scotland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry gets a call from a former sub of his in need of help.<br/>Len ends up seeing Barry acting as a Dom from a new perspective.<br/>The experience lets them grow even closer together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worry taken away

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, first, no sex in this one, sorry guys. But there's, uhm... Something different.
> 
> Anyway, my lovely darling Jess reminded me that there is still some issue to be solved before I can bring in the Outside World... This is my first try in solving this issue. Uhm. I might have created a different one now, but still. I kind of like it. We see Barry from a very different side here.
> 
> Not beta read so all mistakes are mine.

Barry sat in front of Elaine and stared at her. They were in her private rooms over the club, Barry having asked her for a talk the minute he walked into  _ Rain’s  _ tonight. She had motioned for him to follow her right away and led him up a cleverly hidden staircase. She had told him to sit on the comfy couch and went to prepare coffee, then came back to sit in the armchair across from him and now they were staring at each other.

 

“This is ridiculous,” Elaine finally sighed and crossed her legs. “You want to talk to me about my powers, so get on with it.”

 

Barry clenched and unclenched his hands for a moment but then leaned back and tried to relax. “You were affected by the Particle Accelerator explosion,” he stated without making it a question. “What exactly is your power? Just telekinesis?”

 

Elaine lifted one perfectly sculptured eyebrow. “And why is that your business?” She asked smoothly. “I know you work for the CCPD, but I’m not a criminal. I rarely even use my powers. So why are you so interested? What gives you the right to interrogate me?”

 

Barry opened his mouth but closed it again, his mind working furiously. He didn’t actually have an answer for her. Well, except for the obvious, but he couldn’t just expose himself to her… 

 

Elaine rolled her eyes. “God, you are horrible at this secret keeping thing,” she muttered and smirked at his surprised look. “What? You think I didn’t notice you turned back up from your coma and suddenly there was a vigilante on the street? Also, the one time you offered to give me a massage? Your fingers definitely vibrated.” She leaned forward. “I know you’re The Flash. Have known for a while. You suck at keeping secrets, darling.”

 

Barry blushed. “‘M not that bad,” he mumbled and his blush deepened as she laughed at him.

 

“Yes, you are,” she assured him, sitting back a bit. “But it’s okay. I didn’t tell anyone. Well, except for my partner, but he can keep his mouth shut. “She smirked. “When I tell him to, that is.”

 

Barry laughed and pushed a hand through his hair, relief coursing through him. “You know, I never met him.”

 

“And you never will,” Elaine said with a little shrug. “He was affected, too, and while he was very private before already, now he’s…” She looked to the side with a little frown. “Well. Let’s just say he doesn’t have our level of control over his powers.”

 

Barry frowned. “We could help him. Or try to. At STAR Labs, I mean.”

 

She shook her head. “No, thank you, darling. We’re fine the way it is. We just want to live our life in peace and keep our customers safe and happy.”

 

Barry nodded. “Yeah, I get it,” he agreed. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone about you, either. And neither will Len.”

 

She smiled. “I wouldn’t have shown my powers to you if I didn’t believe you would accept my need for privacy,” she assured him. “As to your question: Telekinesis is the only thing I developed. It is… Quite handy in my day to day life, I must say. Sometimes even at the club, but my partner takes care that no one ever sees me using it.”

 

Barry returned her smile. “That’s good,” he said. “I’m glad you’re safe. If you ever need help though, you know how to reach me.”

 

Her smile widened. “I certainly do. I must admit, it’s rather thrilling to have a superhero at my beck and call.”

 

Barry laughed. “Don’t go overboard with this power, Elaine, you never know who wants to exploit it.”

 

“Oh, darling, I’d never use you like that,” she purred and Barry finally relaxed enough to take a sip from his coffee. 

 

He spent the rest of the evening answering her questions about his work as The Flash, enjoying himself immensely. He was glad to have found her to be another meta who didn’t resort to criminal activity.

 

***

 

Barry had been busy. He’d caught three men attempting to rob a bank - not nearly at Len’s level, making the whole thing way too easy -, stopped a mugging, and then ran into a new colleague of Iris’ who managed to take a picture of him before he could dash away. Barry wondered if it had at least been a good one.

 

He just arrived back at STAR Labs, ready to quit for the night when Cisco told him his phone was going off with an unknown number.

 

Barry frowned as he sped into the room and picked up the phone as soon as he’d stopped. “Hello?”

 

There was breathing on the other end for a minute but not much else.

 

“Hello?” Barry asked again, shrugging at Cisco’s and Caitlin’s questioning looks. “Who’s there?”

 

“Master?”

 

Barry froze. He knew that voice, knew that tone… “Isabelle?”

 

A sob answered him and Barry was on high alert instantly. “Isabelle, dear, are you safe? Answer me.” He didn’t even notice that he automatically slipped into his Dom voice.

 

“Yes,” Isabelle answered immediately, relief sounding through the phone at being able to follow an order. “Yes, I’m safe, Master.”

 

“Where are you? What happened?” Barry asked, shaking his head as Cisco made the motion to ask if he should trace the call.

 

“He… I’m not sure where I am,” she said, breath hitching. “He wanted to make me… I wouldn’t do it, he threw me out of the car…”

 

“Okay, please, darling, calm down,” Barry said, trying to stay calm himself. Isabelle had been his sub a few years ago, only for about 5 months, as she had fallen in love with another Dom. Barry hadn’t heard from her in… He didn’t even know. “Can you tell me what you see? What city are you in?”

 

She breathed for a moment and he heard shuffling on the other end of the line. 

 

“I think I’m in Keystone,” she said, her voice calmer now. “I’m… There’s a bar very close. It’s called  _ Myriad _ .”

 

Barry nodded. “Yeah, I know it,” he said. “Okay. Isabelle, I want you to go to the bar and stay there. I’ll send someone to get you. He’ll bring you to  _ Rain’s  _ and we can talk there. Do you understand?”

 

“Yes, Master,” she said, clearly relieved. “Thank you, Master.”

 

“Don’t worry, darling,” he said softly. “I’ll always be there when you need me. Just stay there.”

 

He hung up and looked at Cisco and Caitlin who both stared at him. He sighed. “Look,” he said. “It’s private. I promise, I’ll tell you eventually but for now... “

 

“It’s okay, Barry,” Caitlin interrupted him. “We can wait.”

 

“Yeah, man,” Cisco said. “Take care of this Isabelle. We’ll be here when you’re ready to tell us.”

 

Sometimes, Barry loved them so fiercely he didn’t know how to express it. “Thank you,” he said, which seemed terribly inadequate. 

 

He speed to change his clothes and called Len. He wasn’t completely sure if this was the best idea, but he couldn’t pick Isabelle up alone, not without exposing himself as The Flash. And he knew Len was supposed to be in Keystone tonight.

 

“Scarlet?”

 

Barry smiled involuntarily at hearing that nickname. “Hello, Len,” he said, standing outside of STAR Labs and looking up into the darkening sky. “I need a favour.”

 

***

 

Barry arrived at  _ Rain’s  _ a few minutes later and looked for Elaine inside. He found her in conversation with another Domme and her kitten, which sat at her feet. Barry stepped closer and cleared his throat.

 

“Sorry to interrupt,” he said and smiled at them. “Could I borrow Elaine for a minute?”

 

The Domme smiled back. “Sure, Allen. We were about done anyway, I think. Elaine, always a pleasure talking business with you.”

 

The two women kissed each other’s cheeks and then the Domme and her pet moved away.

 

Elaine turned to Barry. “What’s going on?” She asked, worried. “Is it Len?”

 

Barry shook his head. “No, not this time. Isabelle called me, she’s in some kind of trouble. I asked Len to bring her here.”

 

Elaine’s eyes widened. “Isabelle? I haven’t seen that girl in… Well, since she left you for that other Dom, Marcus. He was nice enough but didn’t seem to approve of the club much. She never came back…”

 

Barry nodded. “Yeah, I remember. I was worried, but she seemed so happy… I don’t know what happened, I’m hoping she’ll tell me later. I just… I don’t want to take her into my… Len’s and my room.”

 

Elaine smiled knowingly as Barry blushed. “I see. Yes, I’ll get you another. Actually…” She looked to the staircase hidden behind heavy drapes. “Why don’t we take her to my rooms upstairs?”

 

Barry’s eyes widened in surprise. “We? And your rooms? Elaine…”

 

“Isabelle was one of mine,” Elaine cut him off. “If she needs help, I want to give her as much as I can. Also…” She frowned at Barry. “Do you think it would be fair to Len to have to watch you take care of another sub?”

 

Barry bit his lip. “I told him in the beginning that I might have to do that sometimes…”

 

“It’s been months, Barry,” Elaine said softly, stepping closer. “You and him… Your relationship is different now. I know you still have your… work-related troubles outside of the club, but in here? You’ve been exclusive for a while now.”

 

Barry let out a breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding. “You’re right,” he agreed. “Goddamnit, you’re right.” 

 

He looked around the club, noticing all the other couples and singles. “I love him,” he told her quietly. “I don’t know how to handle it outside the club, but I do. And he said he loves me, too, but he was half asleep by then so who knows if he really meant it....”

 

“Oh, he meant it,” Elaine said dryly. “That man is crazy over you, darling, everyone with eyes can see it.”

 

Barry grinned and blushed. “Yeah, well, I’m crazy over him, too. I don’t want to hurt him, but I can’t ignore Isabelle either… If she needs help, I have to do something.”

 

“Which is why we’re going to take care of her together,” Elaine said firmly. “Don’t worry, darling. Maybe this will actually help your man. Seeing you with another sub might show him another side of you, being on the outside and all.”

 

Barry shrugged, just as the curtains to the door opened and Len stepped in, a petite woman at his side. “Let’s hope it doesn’t bite me in the ass,” he murmured as they walked closer to the two subs. 

 

“It won’t,” Elaine said with confidence. Barry hoped she would be right, as always.

 

***

 

Len wasn’t sure what to think.

When Barry had called and asked him to pick up a woman, a former sub of his, he’d been on alert instantly. He realized that Barry had had subs before him of course, but meeting one was different than hearing about them.

 

Still, he went to  _ Myriad  _ to pick up this Isabelle. She was a short and very frail-looking brunette, with large blue eyes which shone wet with unshed tears. Her dress was skimpy, she was barefoot, and she seemed to shrink in on herself whenever one of the men in the bar so much as looked at her. There was a cup of tea in her hands which she didn’t drink but used to warm her fingers, it seemed.

 

Len approached her slowly, his hands in plain sight. “Hello,” he said as soon as he was in earshot but keeping his distance. “My name is Len.”

 

She didn’t answer, didn’t even look at him.

 

“Barry sent me,” Len said next, which made her turn her head in his direction, relief and hope visible on her face. “He asked me to pick you up.”

 

She opened her mouth but then closed it again, swallowing. “How… How do I know that’s true?” She asked, her voice so quiet Len barely heard her.

 

“He said to tell you…” Len paused, looking around, before leaning closer. “He said to tell you  _ sunshine, freedom, and a little flower _ .” He had no idea what it meant but Isabelle apparently did, because she smiled at him and got up from her stool.

 

“Oh,” she said, “alright then. Uhm…” She looked at the tea and flushed. “I don’t…”

 

“It’s on the house,” Lydia, the bartender, said with a kind smile. “Don’t worry, honey. Let Len here take you somewhere safe.”

 

Isabelle nodded and so did Len, giving Lydia a smile before taking off his jacket - not the parka, but a long coat with a row of buttons in the front. “Here you go, Isabelle,” he said, reaching out slowly. She let him put it on her but buttoned it herself. It covered her down to her knees.

 

“You have a car?” She asked him when they stepped outside.

 

He nodded and pointed to said car, opening the passenger door for her. “I’ll drive us to  _ Rain’s _ ,” he said as he started the car. “Barry is waiting there for us.”

 

She smiled but didn’t say anything, lowering her eyes to her folded hands.

 

Len snuck glances at her every now and then but respected her need for silence. He felt more pity than jealousy by now. Isabelle seemed to be in really bad shape, he just hoped Barry would be able to snap her out of it.

 

***

 

Barry was upstairs in Elaine’s living room, by her request. She’d told him she would bring Isabelle and Len up while he should prepare some coffee or tea. Remembering that Isabelle liked her coffee with lots of milk he did just that, making more for Len, Elaine, and himself. He also found some chocolate cookies and put them on the table, hoping Elaine wouldn’t mind. Then he got a fluffy blanket and a pillow ready for Isabelle. She always wanted to be warm and cozy when she had a bad moment.

 

Soon he could hear the sounds of people coming up the stairs and he tried to calm himself down. Isabelle didn’t need him agitated.

 

Len came in first, stopping at Barry’s side to give his hand a quick squeeze before going to one of Elaine’s comfy chairs. Barry wondered if he was alright, he looked more guarded than usual… But there was no time to dwell on that, as Elaine came in with Isabelle shortly after Len.

 

The first thing Barry noticed was Isabelle wearing Len’s coat and he barely kept himself from frowning. Instead, he moved closer to her while Elaine stepped up to the other chair. The sofa would hold Barry and Isabelle. 

 

“Hello, darling,” Barry said softly, reaching out slowly to cup Isabelle’s cheek. “Dear heart, you are so thin.” And she was. The last time Barry had seen her, Isabelle had been at a healthy weight, her cheeks glowing with happiness, as she told Barry about Marcus. But now she looked like a shadow of herself.

 

Isabelle shuddered under his touch. “He liked me better this way,” she answered quietly and didn’t look into Barry’s eyes. “I’m sorry if it displeases you, Master.”

 

Barry’s heart hurt. When he’d met Isabelle, she’d just gotten out of a bad situation with her parents, desperate for approval and someone who told her she was good enough. It had taken him 5 months to transform her into the beautiful, confident woman she’d been when she left with her new Dom. Now she was right back where they’d started.

 

“No, darling,” Barry said. “You could never displease me.” He looked at the coat. “Can we take this off, darling? I would like to see the rest of you.”

 

Isabelle nodded and Barry slowly unbuttoned the coat, taking it off her small frame. He heard a sharp intake of breath and knew it came from Elaine as they could see shape Isabelle was in. 

 

“Oh, darling,” Barry whispered and pulled her carefully into his arms. “What has he done to you?”

 

Isabelle broke down into tears and clung to him with all the strength she had left.

 

***

 

Len felt sick. He hadn’t noticed in the bad lighting at the bar, but Isabelle was covered in bruises. Her back was a map of welts, old and new, her arms bore the shapes of fingers, and her neck… 

 

“Excuse me,” he said and got up, stumbling a bit on his hurried way to the bathroom. He heard Elaine’s heels clacking as she followed him and for a second he resented Barry for not doing the same. But then he found the bathroom, fell to his knees and vomited violently into the toilet.

 

Elaine stepped into the room and to the sink. A moment later Len had a cold washcloth on his neck while he tried to breathe and keep from throwing up a second time.

 

“Thanks,” he rasped as he felt safe enough to sit back up and pull the flush.

 

She nodded and handed him a glass of water which he gulped down eagerly. “You didn’t see them before?”

 

He shook his head. “The lighting was bad,” he explained. “I just gave her my coat.”

 

She smiled and raked her fingers over his head, making him shudder and relax a bit. “You did well,” she told him, and Len relaxed even more. “Barry will take a while with her. If you want to stay in here, or go downstairs -”

 

“No,” he interrupted her, sending her an apologetic look right after. “I just… I want to stay.”

 

She nodded. “Alright,” she said and got up from her crouch next to him. “Then come. You can see him in action up close. It will be different than what he does with you.”

 

Len frowned and got up. “How so?”

 

She took the cloth and glass from him. “Isabelle and him never had a sexual relationship,” she said, not reacting to the way he startled. “She needed someone to give her back a sense of self-worth. Barry did that. And then, when he had done all he could for her, she found someone else and left. It seems like that someone hurt her even more than she’d already been hurt before.”

 

Len watched the anger flash in Elaine’s eyes. “Should I try to find that man?” He asked. “Would that… help?”

 

Their eyes crossed and Len knew she understood his meaning. If he found this man, he wouldn’t survive it.

 

“Let’s save that for later,” Elaine said, but the dark look in her eyes told Len that they weren’t done talking about this.

 

Together they walked back to the living room.

 

***

 

Isabelle had stopped crying, but was still buried in Barry’s arms. Barry looked up and down Len’s body as they entered, noticing the paleness of his skin, and the sheen of sweat on his forehead.

 

“Everything okay, love?” He asked and smiled when Len nodded.

 

“Yes, I’m fine, sir,” Len answered and returned the smile before sitting down in the chair again. “I was just very concerned when I saw Isabelle.”

 

Barry nodded, squeezing the young woman in his arms gently. “I totally understand. So am I. Isabelle, darling, will you tell me how this happened?”

 

Isabelle swallowed and pulled back a bit. Her eyes stayed fixed on Barry’s face, but she was clearly aware of their audience.

 

“Or would you like to be alone right now?” Barry asked on second thought. “Would you like Elaine and Len to go downstairs?”

 

Her eyes swept over the other two people in the room but she shook her head. “No, it’s fine, Master. I trust Elaine, and Len… He seems very nice.”

 

Barry smiled. “He does, doesn’t he?” He shared a look with Len who was blushing a bit. “He’s also a very special person to me, so I’m glad you are okay with him staying here.”

 

A little spark showed in Isabelle’s eyes and she smiled weakly. “A special person, Master? Did you finally find someone perfect for you then?”

 

“I think I did, yes,” Barry said with a small chuckle. “But you’re deflecting,” he added sternly. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but you called me for help and you clearly need it. I’d like to be the one to help you, Isabelle. But only if you want me to, if you trust me enough to tell me what happened to you.”

 

“I always trusted you,” she said firmly and moved back, settling down more comfortably on the chair, but kept her hand in Barry’s. “And I called you, Master, because I know you’d keep me safe.”

 

“Always,” Barry murmured and kissed her fingers which slowly warmed up a bit. “Here, take your coffee, if only to warm your hands, and tell us what happened.”

 

He handed her the cup which she promptly took in both hands, while he instead settled his own hand on her ankle, grounding her. Reminding her she wasn’t alone.

 

“It was Marcus,” she said after a few sips, looking at her coffee instead of him or the others. “He… At first it was wonderful. He was a considerate and lovely Master.” She sipped some more of her coffee and Barry squeezed her ankle to keep her going.

 

“After a few months he… Changed. He had money problems, gambling. He lost his job. I was still working though, and sometimes he would just… Take my money. And he said… He said I was too fat, I needed to eat less, I would be more attractive if I lost weight. Sometimes he got really angry…” She stopped, the tears falling again. 

 

Elaine handed Barry the tissue box and he gently wiped Isabelle’s face. “What happened then, darling?” He whispered. “Why did you stay?”

 

“Because he said he loved me,” she whispered. “He said I was the only sub he ever loved, perfect for him. But at the same time he got so angry with me because I made mistakes all the time… He found a new job eventually and told me to quit mine. We moved out of Central City and suddenly… I had nothing. No friends, no job, no money. He was better for a while, he really seemed to love me, and I thought it might have just been the City that made him so different… But then his gambling got worse, he drank more, and he started hitting me… And tonight he…” 

 

Barry pulled her close again as she started crying once more, words failing her. He felt ice cold. The second he could find this asshole, he would make sure he never managed to hurt someone again. He wanted to kill him when he thought about Isabelle being with him for the last  _ five years _ . And from what he could decipher from Elaine’s and Len’s faces, they agreed with him. But this was something that could be dealt with later.

 

“What did he do tonight, dear heart?” Barry asked softly. “Why did he throw you out of the car?”

 

“He tried to sell me,” she whispered and Barry froze. She looked up at him from under wet lashes and stared into his eyes. “I said no. I never said no to him before.”

 

“You did wonderfully, darling,” Barry said hoarsely and cleared his throat. “What exactly… Who did he try to sell you to?”

 

“One of the people he’s indebted to,” she answered. “He said… He said I should work off his debts, it would only take me a week or so.” She shivered. “I was… I can’t even explain what I felt. I said no, and I screamed, and I… I kicked him in the face.” A proud smile appeared on her face. “I broke his nose.”

 

Barry laughed out loud at this, and so did Len and Elaine. “That is great, darling,” Barry assured her. “I’m so proud of you.”

 

“Yes, well, that’s when he threw me out of the car,” she said, her voice stronger and her tears stopped now. “And I… I remembered your number. I don’t even know how, but I did. And I called you.”

 

She looked into Barry’s eyes again. “I don’t know what to do now, Master,” she confessed. “But I won’t go back to him.”

 

“I’m so proud of you,” Barry repeated, pushing her hair behind her ear. “The fact that you called me, that you fought, that you want to get away from him - you’re so strong, my darling Isabelle. Never doubt that.”

 

He looked at Elaine who nodded immediately, making him smile. “You can stay with Elaine for a while,” Barry said. “Here, at the club. You’ll be safe here. I will deal with Marcus.”

 

“How?” She asked, her eyes wide. “What will you do?”

 

“Remember, I work for the police, darling,” Barry said gently. “I will find him.”

 

She bit her lip and looked from him to Elaine, to Len, who all looked at her with the same firm decision on their faces. “Will you kill him?” She whispered.

 

“Do you want him dead?” Len asked, probably knowing Barry never would. He squeezed Isabelle again but his eyes were fixed on Len. This was dangerous territory. But in here, there were no Flash, no Captain Cold, no law. Just an abused sub and people who wanted to protect her. No deals, just reality.

 

“... Yes,” Isabelle mumbled after what felt like an eternity, her voice quiet but steady, as were her eyes that were looking directly at Len. “I want him gone.”

 

“Then that’s what’s going to happen,” Len promised her and for a second Barry remembered that he was a killer. But then he pushed that thought away. Marcus was hardly innocent, and he would gladly do anything in his power to make Isabelle smile again like the last time he had seen her, so happy and free. He would even forget his morals and let Len kill the man who took that smile away from the world.

 

“Yes, dear heart,” Barry whispered into Isabelle’s hair. “That’s what’s going to happen.”

 

His eyes met Len’s and he knew there was nothing but love and trust and a mutual understanding between them. Marcus Keller would be found. And then he would die. It was inevitable.

 

***

 

Two days later, Central City Picture News reported the finding of the body of Marcus Keller. He had been strangled, but only after he’d been quite literally whipped to the bone and his penis cut off. There were no suspects in the case and no one came forward as a witness.

Marcus Keller turned out to be indebted to various members of the Russian mob and his death was soon ruled a mob-related incident. 

 

Central City moved on.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are love <3
> 
> I hope you liked it. Next up, if all goes to plan, will involve some of our boy's family and friends. I'm also always open to ideas and suggestions, or general talks about my writing on my tumblr, daughterofscotland :)
> 
> Len tells Isabelle part of a quote by Hans Christian Anderson to make her trust him: Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."


End file.
